Transcendent
by TwistedSky
Summary: Matt asks Tyler to step away, and he does. It doesn't make a difference though, because Tyler and Caroline are in love. Spoilers for the 2x12 promo. FLUFF. Forwood!


I disclaim! I love these two, I really do! Spoilers for the 2x12 promo. I have no beta, so all errors are, unfortunately, mine. Anyways, this is just FLUFF.

XXXXXX

It's weird the way it all begins.

It's simple. He thinks little of her, and she doesn't think much about him at all, though his situation is definitely the worse of the two, because it's hurtful_. _

Or, it would be, if he actually mattered.

He doesn't, at least not yet.

Instead she's just an annoying twat, who eventually starts to date his best friend. It drives him crazy, but it doesn't really matter. She's just Caroline, and he's just Tyler, and there is only slight antagonism between them.

It doesn't _ mean_ anything.

XXXX

It doesn't stay that way.

His dad dies.

She breaks up with Matt because, hey, she's a _vampire._

She kills someone.

He kills someone, and, hey, he's a _werewolf._

It's all rather ridiculous.

That doesn't stop it from happening.

XXXX

They get close. Really close. Somehow he understands her, and she understands him—and it's different from any other feeling either has ever had.

It's friendship, it's companionship . . . it's like they _need_ each other.

It's like their _souls_ need each other's. It's strange, and it's completely shocking . . . but it's real.

It's _everything._

When he watches the video of his uncle's first transformation it's painful, but she's there. She doesn't leave him until she has to.

When he transforms for the first time—when he feels like his body is being torn apart—she is there.

She doesn't want to leave him, he knows, and that makes all the difference.

She _holds_ him.

He should feel embarrassed, but it's just comforting.

And it's Caroline . . . which is somehow exactly as it should be.

When she comes back to him and tells him he's okay, he's telling the truth when he says he's not.

That pain is the kind that gets into your soul.

He can't do it again.

And yet . . . as _she_ holds his sweating, shaking body . . . he almost thinks he can.

And it's _only _because of her.

XXXX

When they're together he feels like everything is going to be okay—which is ridiculous, because it's never going to be okay again.

He's a werewolf, and she's a vampire, and there's something altogether too tragically beautiful about their friendship.

It's at that point, when he starts to use phrases like "tragically beautiful" to describe their friendship that he realizes that he's falling in love with her.

It's shocking, but it's true.

XXXX

She laughs, and he swears he can't help but smile.

It's weird the way this works, the way she's there for him at the worst of times when he feels alone, and when he undergoes the worst moments of his entire life. And yet, they rarely have _these_ moments.

The kind where everything is just nice.

She's sitting next to him, laughing about some ridiculous movie that's on television, and it's _awful._

It's called _Christmas Cupid_ and he doesn't understand how Caroline can watch it without vomiting, but he's not going to ruin this, because she's happy.

It feels normal—though incredibly strange—that they're watching TV together, and they can just be _friends._

They weren't really friends before, no matter what she'd said as a rationale for not leaving him.

They're friends now though.

And yet when he watches her laugh like this he swears it's more than that, which really sucks because that's just _never_ going to happen.

He can't be with her, and she can't be with him—and all they are is _friends._

XXXX

She misses Matt. She says it, and Tyler realizes how hard it is on her.

They've both lost everything they used to be, they're different people now, but that doesn't stop them from missing the simplicity of what their lives used to be.

It's worse for Caroline, Tyler realizes, because even though he's the one with the painful monthly transformations, she's the one who has to "live" as a vampire for long after he'll be dead and gone.

She's not going to grow old.

She's in love with Matt, but eventually they'll lose each other, even if they do get back together.

He wishes he could comfort her.

But he can't.

And it breaks his heart to realize that.

XXXX

Matt kisses her, and the only thing Tyler can think about is how damn _wrong_ it is.

It's always been wrong, but it used to be because Matt was his best friend, and Caroline was annoying.

Neither of those things are true anymore, because Matt barely speaks to him, and Caroline is . . . perfect just the way she is.

He honestly thought it was over between them, that it wouldn't come down to this. Seeing Matt kiss Caroline, and seeing her stand there in surprise, and then disappear to who knows where is surprisingly difficult.

And even though he wants her to be happy, he's incredibly sure that she's not going to find happiness with Matt. But she loves him, so it's not up to him to decide things like that.

So when he sees them together he pushes everything away. He pushes the pain out of his heart and mind, because he's not _supposed_ to feel pain.

It's not supposed to be like this.

He doesn't think she even knows he saw them together. He doesn't mention it when he hangs out with her just because, or when he drives her home.

When she walks up to her door and turns around to say goodbye, he doesn't mention it then.

Instead he does something else.

He kisses her.

He can't _not_ kiss her.

Not when her eyes sparkle, not when she's the only friend he has left—and really, it's beyond friendship, this connection they have is _transcendent_—and not when she's so incredibly, perfectly, Caroline.

Not when the reason she's not supposed to be with Matt is because he wants her to be with _him._ And he knows he can't have her, he knows she's not for him, and he knows that this is the only time he'll ever get this chance, because as soon as she officially tells him she and Matt are back together, it's over.

And he just wants to kiss her, just _once._

He looks at how beautiful she is in the porchlight and he loses control.

It's sudden, he just moves forward and kisses her.

He can feel her surprise, but she kisses him back.

It's not just a fluttering of lips against lips, it's . . . hard, and then soft, and then . . . Tyler can't even really keep track of it anymore.

It's like they've been fused together, because in this moment they are one, and they are just Tyler and Caroline.

It's a _moment._ One of those moments you don't forget about, the kind that change your life forever, Tyler realizes with a small part of his brain that hasn't _melted_ because of how absolutely amazing it is to kiss Caroline.

She's not like other girls, he realizes. And he's so damn glad about that.

XXXX

She pulls away suddenly, pushing him away, but not too harshly. She practically screams that people need to stop kissing her and she whips around, opening her door, walking in, and slamming it behind her.

He stands there in shock.

It was the most amazing kiss of his life—and what a shock is it to discover that _Caroline_ has all of that intensity balled up in her?—and she wishes it hadn't happened.

That hurts way more than it should.

And suddenly he's rationalizing—she's just a girl.

It's not a big deal.

He's still standing there trying to convince himself of this when he gets a text message. He lifts up his phone and he reads it.

It's Caroline. Apologizing. And making sure they're still on for the next day—because somehow they're friends now and they do things like just hang out.

That's when it hits him.

He stared at the text message and he walks back to his car. As he sits down, he finally smiles.

She'll never just be some girl, because she's Caroline. And that _means_ something.

And he wants to say something macho like "she's his" or something that seems to fit with all of these protective and intense, territorial feelings that have come along with him being a werewolf . . . but he can't.

The truth is, he's hers.

Even if he doesn't want to admit it yet.

XXXX

Matt comes up to him a few days later, and Tyler wonders briefly whether he should just walk away, because the look on his face says this isn't going to be easy or fun.

"I need to talk to you."

Tyler looks around. "Fine."

They move away from the crowds of people at school, and find a slightly secluded area.

"What's going on between you and Caroline?"

It's blunt.

Tyler stares at the ferocity in his voice. "That's none of your business."

"Tyler, we're friends."

"Are we?" Tyler lifts an eyebrow. He can't remember the last time Matt cared enough to talk to him.

Matt hesitated. "I want to be friends again."

Tyler realizes this comes with strings attached.

"So do I," Tyler responds, because the truth is he does. Caroline is amazing, but that doesn't erase the fact that Matt and Tyler were _best friends._

"Good," Matt folds him into an awkward, manly bear hug. "I missed you man."

"I missed you too, now you should probably let go before you start a rumor."

Matt smiles and steps back. He still looks nervous though. "I'm in love with Caroline, Tyler."

Tyler keeps his face unemotional, he does not respond. "That's not really _news_."

Matt sighs. "Tyler, I want her back."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're in the way." Matt says it simply, without heat.

Tyler realizes he has a choice.

He knows how much Caroline misses Matt, and he knows how much Matt misses Caroline.

Tyler is the weak link here, he's the one keeping everyone from what they want, so he does the only thing he _can _do.

"Consider me out of the way."

Matt looks at him in surprise, as if he hadn't expected it to be this easy. "Thank you," he says, and he definitely means it.

Tyler realizes he's done one of the most unselfish things in his life.

He doesn't feel better though—and he wonders briefly why the universe seems to be conspiring against him.

It must be his fault, because life is too damn unfair to not be able to blame someone. And, apparently, he can only blame himself.

Tyler resolves to drown himself in another girl, because that should make him feel better.

XXXX

The cute blond doesn't make him feel better.

She's not as pretty as Caroline, her hair isn't as vibrant, her eyes don't sparkle like Caroline's, and the worst thing is, really, that's she's just not Caroline.

It's been about six hours since he last saw Caroline, and he swears it feels like months.

He canceled their hangout ruthlessly, shoving her toward Matt when she'd seen them together.

He'd seen hurt in her eyes, but he'd ignored that, which wasn't really anything new.

He hadn't expected it to hurt _him_ so much. Wasn't he doing a good deed? Wasn't it supposed to be easier than this?

Tyler resolves to get incredibly drunk and forget about all of this.

But as he starts to fall into his liquor-coated dreams, all he can do is taste her lips on his, and imagine her _with _him.

_Because that's where she should be._

That's his last thought before he passes out, but he won't remember it when he wakes up.

It's better this way, because he wouldn't want to.

It already hurts enough.

XXXX

He hears the screaming, and at first he's terrified, but then he opens his eyes and realizes it's just Caroline, ranting on about something.

"Caroline?" he says tentatively.

She stops midstream of some horribly incoherent sentence and slows down. "This is your fault."

"What?" His head is really beginning to pound already.

"Matt wants to be together again, but I—and you pushed me away."

That doesn't make sense, but Tyler doesn't point it out. "What do you want?" he asks cruelly. His voice is unkind, and he hates himself for it.

"You kissed me. You started it. And then you walked away." She says it simply and sadly, and tears start to form at the corners of her eyes.

Tyler can't believe that this is happening, because Caroline Forbes just climbed in his _window_ to yell at him. And now she's _crying. _

He doesn't have the energy for this, and he just—he _can't_ do this right now. "Why are you here?"

Caroline just looks at him in disbelief. "Tyler, why do you _think_ I'm here?"

"I don't know. Shouldn't you be at home—or with . . . Matt?" He can't help but add that last bit, because he knows he has a point.

Caroline looks like he's slapped her, the shock and hurt on her face nearly make him apologize instantly, but he can't. He promised.

"That's why you're doing this?"

"What are you talking about, Caroline?"

Caroline smiles slightly, and Tyler feels slightly afraid.

"You want me to be with Matt, do you?" she steps forward so that she's practically touching him, and all he needs to do is lean down ever so slightly in order to kiss her.

He realizes that she's trying to tempt him. "Yes," Tyler replies simply.

Caroline seems to reel in shock, like she thought that he'd somehow change his mind when faced with her. She steps back and turns away so that she doesn't have to look at him. "Fine."

XXXX

Caroline wonders when why it's all so very _wrong._

She's dating Matt again, and she should be happy.

She's not.

She misses hanging out with Tyler—who completely ignores her now, but at least he seems to be friends with Matt again, which barely manages to stop her from making sure for herself that he's okay, despite the fact that he doesn't want him to.

She loves Matt, she does, but they aren't _right_ together anymore. He doesn't just make her smile just because he's Matt, and she doesn't _want_ him anymore.

All she can think about is how she can't tell him she's a vampire, and there's a part of her that wouldn't even want to if she could. He feels more like a friend now.

The day she finally gets the courage up to tell him she doesn't want to be with him anymore, he beats her to the punch.

"I made a mistake." Matt says.

Caroline just blinks in surprise. "What?"

"I love you, I do, but when we broke up . . . we should have stayed that way."

Caroline holds out her hand and squeezes Matt's. "I know."

"And—" Matt looks around as if he doesn't know how to put what he wants to say into words—"I shouldn't have asked Tyler to stay away from you."

Caroline looks at Matt in shock, "You did that?"

"I did. I mean, I loved you, and I thought he was in the way, but I—it was selfish."

"And it's not you," Caroline said softly. "Don't let me, or any other girl, make you someone you aren't. Tyler is your best friend."

Matt sighed, "I know. That's why he went along with what I asked."

"It doesn't matter," Caroline steps forward and hugs Matt. It's a goodbye hug, and that's exactly what it feels like. "We're still friends though, right?"

"Yeah." Matt clears his throat awkwardly, "Tyler's in love with you."

Caroline fights off a smile and the intense joy that courses through her is almost overwhelming. "He—"

Matt cuts her off, "He is."

XXXX

Tyler wakes up to Caroline sneaking into his bedroom again, and he wonders briefly if it's a dream until he realizes that she's clothed, so that answers that.

"Really, Caroline? Do you just sneak into my bedroom to stare at me at night or something?"

Caroline giggles. "Only in your dreams."

He doesn't really have a response to that, because it's way too close to the truth of things.

"Tyler, I—I broke up with Matt." She wanders close to his bed, where he's still halfway lying down.

"Oh."

Caroline smiles brightly, sitting down next to him on the bed. He awkwardly attempts to pull up his sheets, but it doesn't work because she's sitting on them quite firmly. She somehow manages to smile even brighter.

"Care, why are you here?" Tyler is beginning to feel awkward about the fact that he's nearly naked, except for his boxers.

And little Tyler is more than a little bit excited by the fact that Caroline is nearby—and Tyler is quite aware that he hasn't had sex in a while.

And this is _Caroline_ which makes it even worse, because he's in love with her.

Caroline's smile disappears and she just looks nervous. "I miss you."

"So?"

Caroline's face dropped at that. "I thought we were friends."

Tyler's face softened, "We are, I'm sorry, I just—" he trailed off. He dropped back down the bed. He stared up at the ceiling, then he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I love you." Caroline says softly.

He doesn't speak.

"I don't know how it happened, and I know that it's a terrible thing, because it can't last, and it really sucks, but I do, and it won't go away. And you—you comfort me, you make me laugh, and I—when I'm around you all I want to do is _drown _in you," Caroline rambles until Tyler opens his eyes.

"It's so wrong, Caroline."

"I know." She sounds resigned.

"I love you too," Tyler gets out before suddenly Caroline is no longer next to him, she's on top of him. Her legs are on either side of his thighs, and she's smiling down at her, her hair framing her face. "But it doesn't matter." It kills him to take the smile away, but he _has_ to do it.

Her smile disappears. "You're right." He is, but she doesn't _want_ him to be right.

A tear nearly escapes the corner of her eye, but she wipes it away quickly trying to avoid Tyler realizing what she's done.

He sees anyway, and that's all it takes for him to waver. "Care, I—"

She just looks down into his eyes, and it stops his words. He can't speak, because she's just so . . . utterly beautiful, and it breaks his heart to put that _look_ on her face.

"Tyler?" she asks tentatively.

That he hesitates before answering changes everything, because when their eyes are locked like this, and she can _feel_ him underneath her . . . she swears she's not responsible for what she does next.

She leans down and captures his lips with hers, and this time she doesn't pull away, and he doesn't either—not that it's the easiest thing in the world for him to do anyway, because he's trapped by her body, though he doesn't seem to mind.

In the end they both pull away. They stare at each other, and they realize they're at the precipice, and they have an important choice to make, the kind that—even though it might seem like it—isn't the kind you can easily undo.

Caroline knows what she wants, but she isn't going to be the one to say it, because she _can't_ be.

It's his turn. She came, and that was on her.

Now it's him.

He lifts up his hand and strokes her arm.

She squirms on top of him, which just proceeds to make him groan.

"Caroline, I need you. I can't—I need you not to leave me, whatever happens."

Caroline lowers her hand and cups his cheek before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek. "As long as you need me, Tyler, I will be here for you."

Tyler smiles at that, and seeing her lift herself back up, grabs her and pulls her back down, rolling her underneath him.

He stares down at her, his arms keeping him from falling on top of her. "And as long as I can, I'll be here for you. I love you." It's the first time he's ever really said and meant the words, and _that _means something.

"I love you," Caroline smiles. She reaches up, grabbing him and pulling him down onto her for a kiss, and there are no more words.

And they aren't really necessary, because everything has already been said.

They love each other, it won't work out in the long run . . . but for now they have each other.

And that's worth it to them.

Because they are _transcendent_.


End file.
